Abstract

There is an increasing demand for opening data provided by public and private organisations. Various organisations have already started to publish their data and potentially there are many benefits to gain. However, realising the intended positive effects and creating value from using open data on a large scale is easier said than done. Opening and using data encounters numerous impediments which can have both a socio and a technical nature. Yet, no overview of impediments is available from the perspective of the open data user. Socio‑technical impediments for the use of open data were identified based on a literature overview, four workshops and six interviews. An analysis of these 118 impediments shows that open data policies provide scant attention to the user perspective, whereas users are the ones generating value from open data. The impediments that the open data process currently encounters were analysed and categorized in ten categories: 1) availability and access, 2) find ability, 3) usability, 4) understand ability, 5) quality, 6) linking and combining data, 7) comparability and compatibility, 8) metadata, 9) interaction with the data provider, and 10) opening and uploading. The impediments found in literature differ from impediments that were found in empirical research. Our overview of impediments derived from both literature and empirical research is therefore more comprehensive than what was already available. The comprehensive overview of impediments can be used as a basis for improving the open data process, and can be extended in further research. This will result in the solving of some impediments and new impediments might rise over time.

Abstract

Abstract: With the dawn of the technological age due to the wide spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs), e‑government is fast becoming of prime importance. This has prompted many governments (those of Sub‑Saharan African ‑ SSA incl
uded) to start thinking of going digital. This growing importance stems from the fact that e‑government has the capability of promoting better governance, transparency, raising service performance and eliminating bottlenecks in the service delivery proce
ss. This paper is based on a literature review of the papers and documents relating to e‑government and investigates the challenges to the successful implementation of e‑government initiatives in all the 49 African countries in SSA for the period 2001 to
2012. In order to conduct a systematic review the guidelines suggested by Webster and Watson (2002) and Okoli and Schabram (2010) have been followed. In total 75 relevant articles and documents have been examined all of which have been published in le
ading journals, conferences proceedings, reports from governmental and non‑governmental organizations. The results show that ICT infrastructure, human resources, legal framework, Internet access, the digital divide, and connectivity are among the most com
mon themes on the challenges to the successful implementation of e‑government initiatives in Sub‑Saharan African countries. These themes are further grouped into six different aspects abbreviated as IF‑POSH (Infrastructural, financial, political, organis
ational, socio‑economic and human). Among these six aspects, infrastructural and human aspects are the most important challenges that the respective governments in SSA need to address prior to adopting implementation strategies. The study suggests that g
overnments of the Sub‑Saharan African countries can benefit from the advantages of e‑government if they address these challenges collectively allowing for the sensitivity of certain socio‑economic realities.

Abstract

Abstract. Public procurement constitutes a large part of the market in many countries, and it has the potential of playing an important role in stimulating communities and serving policy goals. With this in mind the governments have set regulations for pu
blic procurement. Procurement of Information Systems is especially challenging due to the complexity of procuring unknown technology and the importance an information system has for different stakeholders in an organization. Public procurement of informat
ion systems (IS) and services provides several challenges to the stakeholders involved in the procurement processes. However, these are not well established or understood, and there is a knowledge gap that needs to be covered. This paper presents result
s from a Delphi study, which involved 46 experienced procurement managers, chief information officers, and vendor representatives in the Norwegian public sector. The participants identified 98 challenges related to IS procurement, and subsequently ranked
the relative importance of the top issues. The study supports findings from previous research related to diverging stakeholder goals; challenges in balancing between objectives; in requirement specifications; and in too narrow cost focus. In addition to p
roviding empirical confirmation of these previous propositions the study revealed new findings, such as benefits realization in IS procurement; coordinating and standardizing public procurement processes; complex and constraining government regulations; i
ssues of technological integration and compatibility; and inter‑municipal cooperation. Developing clear requirements specifications stands out as critical for public sector officials. The results provide a rich overview of IS procurement challenges in the
public sector in Norway, and may also give a good picture of challenges in other countries with similar procurement regulations.

Abstract

Abstract: This study explores challenges faced by m‑government services provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in Saudi Arabia. By collecting data through surveys from students registered with the Mi
nistry of Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Training Corporation and employees of IT and Communication Ministry in Saudi Arabia, this study shows that the high level of mobile penetration in the country offers an opportunity for Saudi Arabian
government to offer mobile government services in the country. The results suggest that students find m‑government services ineffective and expensive. However, employees believe that the effective implementation of m‑government services is a feasible opti
on and it would enhance the technological development in Saudi Arabia. Certain barriers to m‑government adoption were identified, including the lack of necessary infrastructure and insufficient level of understanding amongst students. There is also a lack
of the customization of mobile government services and lack of access to mobile technologies.

Abstract

Abstract: In 2002 the cross‑agency e‑government initiative was established, quickly followed by the d‑rulemaking program. Excitement over digital opportunities from information communication technology (ITC) for citizens to participate in the agency ru
lemaking process has however been met with a mixed response. In this essay we review popular thought surrounding technology and democratic participation, explain e‑rulemaking and explore whether e‑rulemaking has led to greater meaningful participation.
Factors such as the timing of the comments, administrative restraints in analyzing the comments and characteristics of the participants themselves are examined. We explain e‑rulemaking and discuss this relatively new area of literature while critically ex
amining the premise that e‑rulemaking will lead to meaningful participation and engagement. In particular, we focus on the period of time from 2003 when the eRulemaking Program Management Office Launched the Regulations.gov website. Here we pose the follo
wing questions: Will greater access to the comment process in agency rulemaking increase the number of views expressed and improve the quality of the regulatory framework; and what will be the effect on democracy?

Abstract

Despite great advances in ICT, social media, participatory platforms and mobile apps, we seem to still be locked in the one‑way communication “paradigm” where information flows unilaterally from government to citizens and seldom vice‑versa. As a result, citizens are more receivers rather than conscious producers of information, data, ideas, solutions and decisions in the context of public policies. By means of an extensive literature review, this paper aims to explore the challenges on the part of government that prevent the transition to more dialogic governance and identifies the requirements for a meaningful application of social media for this purpose. The paper contributes to the literature in three ways: i) redefining a typology of social media‑based citizens‑government relationship; ii) clarifying the difference between challenges and risks of social media application by governments and identifying a typology of government challenges; and iii) identifying government requirements as a conditio sine‑qua non for overcoming these challenges upfront, enabling more effective two‑way interactions between governments and citizens. The paper concludes with discussion of implications and directions for further research.

Abstract

Abstract: Public sector organizations are supposed to increase productivity by large‑scale investments in IT. This research investigates the municipalities capabilities to increase productivity through IT investments, and what major challenges must be ov
ercome to do so. The research identifies several problems that reduce productivity gains. These problems persist even though they might seem trivial and easily remedied. They are however symptoms of a more general challenge: Difficulties achieving a prope
r alignment between IT and organizational processes. This alignment gap is related to the way service production is regulated and organized and the way IT is developed and acquired, the lack of local technology and task control that emerges and the result
ing lack of managed coordination between task and technology design.